The House, after initially defeating the bill, on reconsideration passed a gay marriage bill. It defeated a bill on transgender rights. The gay marriage bill faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, and Gov. John Lynch in the past has voiced his opposition to gay marriage.
- The House, after initially defeating the bill, on reconsideration passed a gay marriage bill. It defeated a bill on transgender rights. The gay marriage bill faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, and Gov. John Lynch in the past has voiced his opposition to gay marriage.
- The House approved a tightly-crafted bill that allows certain individuals access to small amounts of medical marijuana. Unlike the 13 other states where it is legal, the N.H. bill requires cultivation of the marijuana by the person for whom it's prescribed. If it passes the Senate, Gov. Lynch has said through a spokesman he has concerns about the bill.
- The House repealed the death penalty. Gov. Lynch promises a veto if it gets by the Senate. The death penalty in N.H. is carried out by lethal injection or hanging as an alternative. One death penalty related bill this year had called for the use of a firing squad.
- The House approved legislation that makes it unlawful to text message while driving. Violators could receive a $100 fine. Texting does not include dialing a telephone number on a cell phone.
- The House rejected a bill that would have made it illegal to smoke while driving in a vehicle with children.
- The House rejected two parental notification bills on abortion. One would have required minors to notify parents before getting an abortion. A companion bill would have required proof of counseling before an abortion.
- The House established a so-called "cold case" unit to investigate more than 100 unsolved murders in the state. The unit would include two state police detectives, a paralegal and a lawyer from the attorney general's office. It's similar to the "Cold Case" folks you see on TV, thus the photo.
- The House rejected higher fines for companies that don't keep up with tree trimming around utility lines. The legislation grew out of the devastating December ice storm.
- The Senate endorsed a four-year term for the governor. Currently, it's a two year term. If accepted by the House it'll need the approval of two-thirds of voters in the 2010 election. The longer term wouldn't begin until after Gov. Lynch leaves office.
- The Senate tabled legislation to expand legalized gambling to include video slot machines at several locations throughout the state. The bill was tabled after coming close to being defeated. It is scheduled to come up again for consideration on April 3.
- More >
